In my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,809,570 and 3,828,723, I provide a method and apparatus for evenly and uniformly galvanizing wire, strip steel and the like by passing such vertically and upwardly through a transversely flowing stream of molten zinc after which the so-coated wire like form is maintained in a vertical position in an oxygen-free atmosphere until resulting coating of zinc has solidified without the coated wire coming into contact with any solid object. Optionally, after being coated and before the coating has solidified, the so-coated wire-like form can be subjected to a gas wipe.
In the commercial application and development of this technology, it is my understanding that certain problems may be encountered.
For one thing, if the zone wherein the upwardly flowing wire member passes through a generally transversely flowing stream of molten zinc is well insulated, and also if the wire being so coated is moving at a fairly rapid rate, it is possible that an appreciable distance may be required along the path of vertical wire travel before solidification of zinc on the wire-like form occurs which suggests that a relatively large and bulky apparatus might be necessary or desirable particularly in a situation where it is desired not to employ a water quench or the like as the wire leaves the galvanizing apparatus traveling vertically.
For another thing, if a gas wipe is employed, it might be desirable to utilize in the gas wipe a gas which has been pre-heated. For reasons of fuel conservation and process economies, it is my understanding that it then would be desirable to recycle gas used for gas wiping. However, I am informed that such a recycle would probably require the use of a gas compressor that would have to operate at elevated temperatures. While such compressors are known, they are expensive and consequently would add to the cost of equipment used for the practice of this technology.